Saturday, August 23

Snowdonia Backpacking & Wildcamping

An initial joy of the web is the incredible amount of information that suddenly becomes available. The depth and scope of this limited only by an ability to use a search engine such as Google.

An initial hate of the web is the incredible amount of information that suddenly becomes available. But is irrelevant, outdated, or even offensive.

As time passes this apparent paradox becomes resolved with personal filtering of how to find information, but as it does mining these seams to follow a specific interest will start to dry up, save for any newly established sites that may appear.

Hence the reducing number of site recommendations I make these days; Save for those Outdoor Blogs which continue to attract new enthusiasts with something to say about their view of gear, experiences and trips.

So I was pleased to come across Snowdonia Backpacking the other day. A site that has been quietly building up a store of backpacking and wildcamping experience for others. Trekking a very solitary path.

"...created to put online my accounts of the multiple-day walks with wild camping that I have done in the National Park ....since 1981....my writings tell not only of my appreciation of the Welsh mountains, but also of my trials and tribulations during my self-taught apprenticeship in the wilds.....

I have never been acquainted with any one else who goes backpacking, so everything I do has been learned from books and magazines, and from experience. I live over 200 miles away ...... I am not one of the lucky people who can slip out at weekends for a bit of practice in the hills....I have good stamina but I have always been slightly weaker compared to my contemporaries, and I don't mind admitting I am scared of heights!

It is hoped that the contents of Snowdonia Backpacking will inform you, pass on some of my hard-gained know-how and maybe entertain you, but above all I sincerely hope it will fill you with enthusiasm and inspiration, in much the same way as the books I read around 1980 did for me"
(And Mr Lumley, if your reading this, “Teach Yourself Backpacking” gets a grateful mention BTW)

I really sympathise with this approach. Howard was not alone in learning skills in this way, especially back in the 70s & 80s when sources for those living beyond traditional walking areas were limited, or nil (The modern net savvy generation now have such amazing access to the basic skills these days, especially when trying to contact like minded people)

A great read of one person's autumnal trips, with trial and error lessons for all of us to consider.

A new one for my recently revised links list I think.

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Comments:
Interesting site, brings back some early backpacking memories. I had a Peter Lumley book for one of my first backpacking books. Happy and innocent days!
 
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